It is generally known to combine semiconductor components with micromechanical structures. The result is compact components, which are able to detect an acting physical quantity, such as a pressure, and simultaneously produce an electrical signal proportional to this physical quantity that is then fed to an evaluation circuit of the component. Components of this kind are manufactured, as is generally known, as monolithic components, the sensor part and the evaluation part being produced one after another in a wafer. The inherent drawback here is that because of the different fabrication techniques, significant interventions in each of the other fabrication steps have to be made.
Furthermore, it is known to manufacture the sensor part and the evaluation part separately and to subsequently join them to the component. The sensor part has the micromechanical structures and the semiconductor components for detecting an electrical signal that is proportional to the physical quantity. In the case of a pressure sensor, a membrane that deforms under applied pressure is produced in a silicon wafer. This deformation is taken up by piezoresistors (semiconductor components), which as a result undergo an analog change in resistance. This altered resistance is detected with a later applied evaluation circuit and used to obtain a pressure-proportional output signal.
It is known to fabricate the silicon membrane using an anisotropic etching process. The piezoresistors for detecting membrane deflection are then assigned to this silicon membrane through process steps in the semiconductor component production. The drawback here is that because of the separate processes, the distance between the piezoresistors and the membrane at maximum stress can only be realized with a relatively large deviation of about 50 .mu.m.